Trump alerted oil giants before Venezuela strike, Congress kept in dark

Donald Trump spoke to major US oil companies “before and after” the military operation in Venezuela, while Congress remained in the dark until the news broke. The secrecy drew sharp attention after Trump later shared an image showing the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, turning a covert operation into a public spectacle.

Following the strike in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, the Trump administration faced fierce criticism from Democratic lawmakers who said the move disempowered the US Congress. Not just Congress, the Trump administration also reportedly kept the Senate Armed Services Committee in the dark about the military strikes.

It was only after the operation which led to Maduro's arrest that the Trump administration began to inform members of the congressional "gang of eight", and the chiefs and senior members of the intelligence committees of the two houses. The "gang of eight" is a grouping of top Republican and Democratic lawmakers of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The revelation has triggered accusations on social media that the strike on Venezuela was driven more by profit than by national security.

The operation in Caracas unfolded early Saturday morning, with US Delta Force teams and airstrikes targeting key military sites. Maduro and Flores were captured and flown to New York to face federal drug charges. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim leader and has reportedly indicated cooperation with Washington.

Trump hailed the operation as a victory against "narco-terrorism", promising that the US would "run" Venezuela temporarily to ensure a "safe, proper, and judicious transition". He repeatedly emphasised tapping the country's oil wealth, claiming it would "make a lot of money" for the US without costing taxpayers.

US CONGRESS, ARMED FORCES PANEL KEPT IN DARK

Lawmakers from both parties have flagged the lack of advance notice on the military operation in Caracas. Some of the lawmakers from the Democratic Party have cited the War Powers Resolution, under which presidents must inform Congress within 48 hours of hostilities, and major operations typically involve pre-briefing.

Trump, however, has defended the secrecy, calling it a "trigger-based mission" and accusing Congress of having "a tendency to leak", according to a report on CBS News.

Only the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" was briefed after the strikes began, reported UK-based The Guardian.

Trump administration officials framed the raid as law enforcement, not war, which they said was the reason for sidestepping traditional oversight.

OIL GIANTS WERE AWARE

On being asked if he spoke to oil companies before the operation and tipped them off, Trump revealed he had consulted major US oil companies before and after the strike.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said the firms "wanna go in so badly" to rebuild and operate Venezuela's crumbling oil infrastructure.

Trump insisted the operation "won't cost us anything", with costs to be covered through oil revenues, reported the BBC.

Experts indicate these discussions with oil companies occurred amid prior blockades and sanctions on Venezuelan oil. United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, after the strike said that companies were eager to invest in Venezuela, news agency Reuters reported.

Coinciding with the January 3 military action in Venezuela, Politico reported that the Trump administration had told American oil companies they could recover assets seized decades ago, but only if they agree to return and invest heavily in reviving the country's shattered oil industry.

According to US officials familiar with the outreach, compensation for expropriated rigs, pipelines and facilities would be tied to fresh capital and operational commitments on the ground.

So, given the Congress and defence panels were not informed, the reality now is unmistakable. Trump himself has acknowledged that he spoke to oil companies before the Caracas operation. Trump has in a way made it clear that the future of Venezuela's oil industry is being shaped as much by American corporates as by Washington's security concerns.

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